Interesting, Very Interesting...

CM Russell

I like western art. It's so ...romantic and possibly all those depictions of big skies and far horizons is what enticed me to make the move west. I remember as a kid going to the Whitney Gallery at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and seeing all those Remingtons and Russells. Amazing art for a kid from a little tiny town in southern Ohio.

Just east of Tucson down the Sonoita Hwy sits the Empire Ranch. The Empire was owned by Walter Vail (where Vail, AZ gets its name) and was once part of a ranching operation comprising one million acres. Today the land still supports cattle and is under the management of the BLM. More history of the Ranch is here. The Empire Ranch Foundation helps to support the preservation of the ranch buildings and every year holds a Western Art Sale. You can view the works for sale weekdays from 8:30-4:00 through March 13th at Northern Trust. For more info see the Empire Ranch Foundation website.

CM Russell

Ted DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun is celebrating the centennial of Ted's birth with a show entitled DeGrazia: 100 Years, 100 Works. If you only know DeGrazia by his works depicting the little children in brightly colored clothing, you owe it to yourself to visit the Gallery to see his other works.

Big doin's in Cochise County this weekend. It's the 17th Annual Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering featuring lots of cowboy poetry, music and fun times. If you've never been to one of these gatherings, give it a try, especially if you're from the Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger, Gene Autry generation or you know all the words to Ghost Riders in the Sky.

An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw

The schedule is here and all shows will be at the Buena Performing Arts Center in Sierra Vista.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Tubac Festival of the Arts. This is a big event in a little village so I would suggest if you would like to go, do it tomorrow. This is a juried show so you will see things you may not see at other Art show and it;s always fun to be in Tubac. There is more info on the Tubac Chamber site.